Syria to help locate missing Americans: US

Syria's new authorities have agreed to help the United States locate and return Americans who went missing in the war-ravaged country, a US envoy said yesterday, in another sign of thawing bilateral ties.

The announcement came a day after the United States formally lifted sanctions on Syria, ending more than a decade of diplomatic freeze.

Relations have steadily improved since former president Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in an Islamist-led offensive in December. "The new Syrian government has agreed to assist the USA in locating and returning USA citizens or their remains," US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack wrote on X, describing it as a "powerful step forward".

"The families of Austin Tice, Majd Kamalmaz, and Kayla Mueller must have closure," he added, referring to American citizens who had gone missing or been killed during Syria's devastating civil war that erupted in 2011.

Tice was working as a freelance journalist for Agence France-Presse, The Washington Post, and other outlets.